Heading west from Pincher Creek on the Crowsnest Highway (Alberta Hwy. 3), I drove past the town of Lundbreck, and made mental note to return later in the day (and of course, I didn’t). But I was slightly more tempted by a sign for Lundbreck Falls, which is just slightly west of the town, on a side-road that parallels Highway 3.
At Lundbreck Falls, the Crowsnest River plunges more than 12 meters (about 40 feet). The area that surrounds it is designated as a provincial recreation area, and there’s a turnout with plenty of parking, and several developed viewpoints.
I put on the fisheye lens to capture the entire waterfall. There’s a smaller cascade, off to the left of the main falls. In late March, the falls weren’t frozen (I don’t know if it freezes more thoroughly during the harshest winter months). There was, however, quite a bit of snow and ice surrounding the falls.
A trail near the viewpoints leads downhill, beside a small cliff, where I found even more icicles.
That trail takes you beneath the beautiful concrete-arch bridge, which carries the road that leads to the falls parking area. I would imagine that most people never know they’re driving across such an elegant bridge.
You can walk directly underneath the bridge, and stand in between the concrete arches…
… and then take a look further downstream, where a few bends in the river and an old shed make a picturesque scene.
Climb back up the hill, then cross the bridge, and look for another trail.
It will take you to another nice viewpoint, where you can capture the falls, the concrete bridge, and the railroad trestle, all in one shot.
Once you’ve admired the waterfall from all possible angles, there isn’t much more to do here — at least in winter. I’ve read that the river has some good trout fishing, but getting back into my car, and cranking up the heat, seemed like the best idea.
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